Beat Me Sweetly
by MeGkAtHeRiNe
Summary: Life gets hard with a family that holds a dirty secret
1. Chapter 1

Emily smiled seeing her little girls running around on the playground with their daddy in front of her. The sun was burning down on them, with very few clouds blocking their view of the blue sky. Emily looked down beside her to see her youngest son coloring in his book, smiling down at the purple dinosaur.

Emily smirked, seeing her son color the sky green as she ran her fingers through his short black hair. "You ok, bud? Don't have to use the bathroom?"

He shook his head, looking up to his mother with a grin. "I'm 'k mama!"

"Honey, you know the sky in not green."

He looked back to the paper before setting his crayons and book aside, jumping off the bench and thrusting his fists in the air. "It is in DougLand!"

Emily laughed at her son, beckoning him to come back to her. "Doug, come back over here, ok?"

Doug raced back over to her, jumping on her lap. "Yes?"

Emily shook her head slightly before kissing his head and setting him down. "We gotta go, ok? It's almost dinner and mommy didn't make the food yet."

"WE COULD GET PIZZA!"

"We had pizza two nights ago, baby."

"So?"

"So, we're not going to have it again this week."

"Why?"

"Because it's not healthy."

"Why?"

"Because you need a variety of foods, sweetie."

"Why?"

Emily smiled as she shook her head, ruffling Doug's hair. "Clean up your stuff, sweetie. I'm gonna go get Jenni, Marie and daddy. Stay right here, you hear me?"

Doug nodded as he began hoving his crayons back in his box.

Emily ran over halfway between where Doug was, and the playground, so she wouldn't have to leave him all alone. "Aaron!"

Hotch turned, Jenni on his shoulders and Marie in front of him. He smiled wide before waving, causing both girls to wave too.

Emily chuckled, waving back. "It's time to go home. Ok?"

Hotch nodded as him and the girls started making their way over to her, smiles on their faces.

Emily smiled at her girls before kissing her husband's cheek. "It's almost six, and we really need to feed them. Plus, I'm hungry." She looked to the girls and smiled. "Did you girls have fun?"

Jenni smiled as she set her chin atop her father's head. "Yeah! Daddy pushed me and MayMay on the swings and we jumped from them!"

Emily smiled wide as she picked up Marie, who immediately snuggled into her chest. "That sounds like loads of fun! Doesn't it, Aaron?"

Hotch smiled as he nodded, starting to walk with his wife over to their youngest son. "It sure was fun, Em."

Emily nodded before looking to Doug, who was gathering his book and box of crayons in his arms. "You ready to go, buddy?"

Doug turned to his mother and smiled wide before running over to her, clutching her leg.

When they got to the house, all three kids raced inside, leaving Emily and Hotch to close the door. "What does everyone want to eat?"

"Pizza!"

"Chicken!"

"Pasta!"

Emily nodded as she made her way into the kitchen, muttering to herself as she opened the fridge. "Chicken it is."

The front door was heard opening ten minutes later, before a heavy slam, causing Emily to look up from the stove, seeing a sixteen year old Jack storm through the hall. "Jack? You ok?"

"Fine."

Emily raced over to her son, her heels pounding on the floor before she grabbed his arm, turning him towards her. "Where were you? I thought you were going to come right back after school to help with the basement. Me and your father had to do it alone."

Jack shook his head, gripping the handle of his backpack tighter. "I'm sorry, I was at Todd's."

"Honey, I'm not mad. Just let me know where you are next time."

Jack nodded quickly before running up the stairs, only to have something fall from his bag and tumble down the steps to his mother's feet.

Emily bent down, picking up the object that fell from her son's bag. When realization crossed her mind, her hard eyes looked up to her son, who was frozen in the middle of the staircase. "Jack, tell me where you got this."

No answer.

"Jackson Hotchner, tell me where you got the purse."

Jack raced back down to his mother, snatching the purse from her hand.

"Did you steal that?"

"Mom I d-"

"Are you really stealing? Why would yo-"

"SHUT UP MOM! JUST SHUT UP!"

Emily winced at the tone of her son's voice, before feeling her face muscles tightened as her eyes hardened. "Jack, don't you talk to me like that."

Jack shook his head as he turned. "Just mind your own fucking business."

Emily reached out to grab her son's arm again, but was surprised as he jerked away, turning back to her.

"I said to mind your own fucking business, mom!"

Emily stared wide eyed as Jack stomped up the stairs into his room, the door slamming behind him. She turned at the sound of another door, and watched as her husband came towards her. "Hey, is everything ok? I couldn't really hear from downstairs."

Emily nodded slowly, plastering a smile on her face to mask the unshed tears that threatened to spill. "Everything's fine."


	2. Chapter 2

Jack slowly opened his door as dinner time came around, hearing his little sisters running around on the hardwood down in the living room. When he got home before, he mentally slapped himself for bursting and yelling at his mom. So, with his hands behind his back, he ran down the steps seeing his mom and dad setting the kitchen table.

"Mom?"

Emily looked up, and wore an apprehensive look as she smoothed down her blouse, her suit jacket gone. "What is it, Jack?"

Jack gestured his head towards the kitchen, his now light brown hair falling slightly in front of his eyes. "Can I talk to you for a minute?"

Emily nodded slowly, walking into the kitchen with her bare feet before turning to her son, seeing him now towering over her with his latest growth spurt. "What's up?"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry for yelling at you. I lost my temper, and I shouldn't have."

Emily leaned against the counter, her hand on her hip. "Jack, I don't care that you yelled at me. It did upset me, but that's beside the point right now. I want to know why you have that purse." She watched as he immediately lowered his gaze to his feet, and she felt shame well up inside her as her voice became thick. "Jack, did you steal the purse?"

Jack immediately looked up to his mother, shaking his head. "No, I didn't. You remember Danielle from school?"

"Yes."

"She left it at band practice so I took it home and I was gonna give it to her tomorrow."

Emily nodded, wiping a tear from her cheek before pointing an accusing finger at her eldest. "But, I do not want you cursing at me. I don't mind the yelling, I get the yelling. But never tell me to mind my own fucking business or I will slap you. I don't care if it's child abuse, because no kid is too old to get spanked."

Jack felt a smirk grow on his face as he imagined his mother running around behind him, chasing him with a wooden spoon, like her nannies used to do to her. "I completely get that. But, I also have something for you to apologize."

"Didn't I tell you, Doug and your father that buying girls things will not make up for a mistake?"

Jack smiled softly as he took his hands out from behind his back, revealing a small black box.

Emily's eyes widened as she looked from the box to her son.

"Open it."

She took the box from his hand, feeling the velvet of the box slide thoroughly under her fingers before she slowly opened it, feeling a gasp escape her mouth. Inside was two diamond earrings, their sparkles staring back up at her.

"Jack, these are beautiful."

Jack smiled before kissing his mom on the forehead, seeing her eyes turn to him. "You like 'em?"

Emily nodded as she ran her finger over one of the earrings. "Jack, how did you pay for these?"

"I used my pay from worked. Cost me six months of cash, but that's fine."

"Oh sweetie…"

Jack smiled, taking them out for the box and placing them on her ears before backing up, looking at her with them on. "You look great, mom."

Emily smiled before walking up to her son, kissing his cheek before taking him into a hug. "Ok, this is the one time you are forgiven. They really are beautiful, so thanks sweetie."

Hotch walked in to see his son and wife hugging near the counter, and immediately smirked. "What's going on in here?"

Emily backed away from Jack, slowly wiping the tears from her eyes. "Nothing. Is the table set?"

Hotch nodded.

"Doug, Jenni and Marie! Get your butts to the table!"

"Kay!"

"Ok!"

"Ok mommy!"

Emily smiled as she walked into the kitchen, leaving her husband and eldest in the kitchen. She watched as the three little ones stop immediately as they got in front of her. "Washed your hands?"

"Yes."

"Yup."

"Yes mommy!"

Emily smiled before pulling her chair out, seeing the kids running to theirs. "Then lets eat."


	3. Chapter 3

Emily watched as her son spoke quietly into his phone in the kitchen of their home, his face red and eyes twitching. She slowly got up from the couch, adjusting her new earrings as she walked over to the doorway of the kitchen, her ears listening in on what her so had to say.

"No! I said NO, we wouldn't do that…Because it's wrong! I'm not gonna do that to the people I care most about…NO SETH!…Because I love her!"

Emily bit her lip as she knocked on the pillar she was leaning against, watching as Jack immediately turned around, snapping his cell phone shut and shoving it in his pocket. He let a grin come out on his face as he walked up to his mother and kissed her cheek. "Hey mom. What's up?"

Emily shook her head as she looked up to her eldest. "Nothing really; wanted to make sure everything was ok. Was that Seth?"

Jack nodded as he scratched his shaggy blond hair. "Yeah it was. But everything's fine, mom. We're ok."

"Who were you talking about?"

"Why?"

Emily raised her eyebrows as she folded her arms over her chest. "Don't you question my question with an attitude, young man. I was just wondering."

Jack sighed as he shook his head. "Nothing. I was talking about no one."

"You said you loved her."

His blue eyes widened as he gave a nervous chuckle. "I think you might of misheard what I was saying."

Emily shook her head as her voice softened. "Jack I-"

"Coming dad!"

Emily turned and watched in shock as her son ran up the stairs, the door to his bedroom slamming shut. She let out a breath as her eyes immediately latched onto the offending item that lay at the bottom of the stairs.

The brunette looked around to make sure none of the family was watching as she picked up Jack's cell phone, flipping it open and searching quickly through the contacts.

_Seth, I need you to text me. Tell me your side of the plan again._

Emily rubbed her hand over her forehead as she sent the message, slumping down on the stairs as a blast of music came from upstairs.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack let out a huff as he slumped down into the chair in front of his desk, his hands immediately roaming the keyboard of his computer. He shook his head as a blank document opened on his computer. There was nothing he could do to convince his brunette mother what she had heard on his end of the conversation was false.

And little did he know, downstairs his mother's heart was racing.

Emily bit her lip as she impatiently waited for her son's friend to reply back to her, the phone between her palm and curling fingers. It had only been two minutes since she sent the message, but it seemed more like two hours.

The brunette let out a huff as she settled her elbows onto her knees, her chin leveled in the hand that didn't hold her son's cell phone. Had she done the right thing? All she wanted to do was know what was troubling her eldest, and since he wasn't giving her any answers…

Emily's body immediately jerked as the cell phone in her hand vibrated, and her back straightened just the tiniest bit. Her fingers slowly flipped the phone open before her thumb pressed the center button, and the message quickly opened.

_How many times do I gotta say this, bro? You have to kill her_

Emily's heart immediately stopped, her throat tightening and her eyes widening. Kill her? Kill who?

She felt her body start to shake as she pressed the reply button.

_But Seth… I can't._

Her breath was heavy as her body was now on high alert, her heart beating in the hollow of her throat. But, maybe it wasn't what she thought it was. Maybe it was just some game him and his friend joked about. And if it was, it seriously wasn't funny.

The phone then buzzed again, and Emily schooled her face as she opened the message.

_I know you love your mama, Jack. But we made this plan and I've got money ridin' on it. Take the knife and do it already._


	5. Chapter 5

Emily's eyes widened as the phone fell from her hand, her mouth falling open as the loud clatter sounded against the wooden floor. Kill her? Emily shook her head and stood on unsteady legs. She had to have read that wrong. She must have. Jack wouldn't do that. He wouldn't even think of it.

Right…?

Her eyes flickered to the staircase as she heard a door upstairs open, the hinges squeaking ever so slightly. "Jack? Is that you?"

She was quickly met with silence.

The brunette stiffened her shoulders as she slowly made her way to the bottom of the staircase, her hand resting on the wooden railing. "Aaron?"

Nothing.

"Kids? Do you need something?"

Emily let her fingers run roughly through her hair when she heard no voices from above her, and she quickly ran into the kitchen, her hand finding her favorite wine glass.

…

Seth's fingers curled around the steering wheel, his steely eyes staring towards the white house just across the street.

The brunette he was searching for immediately popped into view when she walked into the kitchen, a wine glass in her hand as she opened the refrigerator door.

The young man felt his pants immediately tent when he saw the light from the open fridge cast a glow on the pale woman through the woman. Her shirt slacked and her breasts were shamelessly on display, the black bra completely visible before she stood back up, a glass of wine now in her hand.

Seth shook his head and his hand went to the lock on his door.

"Wait! What are you doing?"

His eyes turned to the girl beside him and his smile was wide. "I wanna go and get her, Tara."

Tara's blond hair bounced as she shook her head. "But it's not time, Seth. Jack didn't tell us to go in."

"Do you think I care?" He grabbed the blond's head and forced her to look through his window. "Do you see that beautiful woman in there? The plan is to get her and cause her so much pain that she'll _beg _for me to kill her."

He licked his lip when he looked at the older woman through the window. "And right now is the time."


	6. Chapter 6

The brunette closed her eyes as she let the cool, red liquid slide greedily down her throat. She slowly took the glass away from her lips before looking around the empty living room before her, her tongue swiping across her teeth so they would not stain.

There were just too many things running through her head.

Emily shook her head before making her way towards the couch, her body sinking into the cushions after she set the wine glass onto the coffee table before her. Her eyes slowly traveled around the quiet room as she willed her heart to calm itself down.

Her eyes quickly began to water again.

Someone wanted to kill her.

Not a second later, there was an earth shattering bang from the other side of the house, and Emily's head immediately spun around.

Her dark eyes saw nothing out of place as she stood from her seat on shaky legs, her hands grabbing for her gun that lay on the coffee table. "Hello?"

No answer.

Emily shook her head as she felt her mind begin to spin out of control. "Show yourself." She took a breath as the lights above her and around her began to flicker on and off. "Now!"

Not one tiny noise or sound greeted the brunette's ears.

"I have a gun!"

Emily shook her head for sounding so vulnerable and panicky, and she quickly let her teeth sink into her lip as she made her way to the staircase, her eyes going from the door to the second floor. "Aaron? Honey are you awake?"

No answer.

"Aaron sweetie, I need you t-"

The brunette's eyes widened as a hand quickly made its way over her mouth, snapping her jaw shut before the stranger's free arm encircled her waist and held a small blade just below her belly button.

"Do you know who I am, Agent Prentiss?" His laugh was whispered into Emily's ear and made her ivory skin crawl. "Oh I'm sorry, it's Agent Hotchner isn't it?"

Emily felt herself shiver in the stranger's arms, his lips pressing against her ear as she gave a quick nod of the head.

"Then tell me, Agent Hotchner," he took his hand from her mouth and pried her jaw open by yanking on her chin, "who am I?"

The older woman let out a breath, sucking her stomach in so the blade couldn't try and tear at her blouse. "Seth."

Seth smiled against the brunette's ear, taking in the smell of her hair and skin much to the older woman's dismay. "Mmhmm, you guessed right baby." He felt her shiver against his body. "What is it, Em? Is something wrong?"

Emily felt her eyes sting when she heard a door open near the top of the stairs. "What are you doing here, Seth?"

The younger man let himself grin against the agent's ear, taking the gun from her hand and throwing it to the floor beneath them. "Just paying the most beautiful mother in this town a visit." He snuggled his nose into the crook of her neck, kissing and nipping at her pulse point. "Do you like it?"

Emily's eyes quickly darted up the steps, hoping her husband would begin to somehow quietly make his way out of the shadows. "Seth, I have children upstairs. I think you should leave."

"Oh no, Emily," he shook his head, his fingers gripping the older woman's chin once more and shaking her head along with his, "that's not how this is going to work. You see, I have a little plan that involves your beautiful self and me." He spun the woman around, tugging at her collar and holding the knife to her neck. "Nothing's going to ruin that for me."

The brunette shut her eyes as she felt the teenager's gaze move down her body. "Please, jus-"

"NO!" He shook his head, watching as Emily's eyes immediately peeled themselves back open. "We will do this how I want it. Do you understand me, Agent?"

Emily hardened her gaze on the younger man before nodding her head, her teeth grinding down on one another. "Yes I understand."

Seth let a smile cross his face as his eyes flickered from the older woman to the staircase, his hands tightening around Emily's collar and the knife in his hand. "Look who it is!"

The older woman let her eyes turn to see her eldest son walking down the stairs, and her heart immediately dropped to her stomach. "Jack…"

Jack looked to his mother, his eyes dark and his face drained as he watched his friend pull the woman tighter to his chest. He shook his head slightly as his throat constricted. "Hi mom."

Seth let out a laugh before spinning Emily's body so her back was against his chest before turning them around, letting the older woman's watering eyes look towards her son. "Say hi to your son, Em. He's the one who's helped me." He leaned down and gently bit her ear. "He's the one who sold you to me."

Emily felt her breath leave her body as she watched her son begin to walk towards her. She let out the loudest scream she could as she tried to squirm from the younger man's tight grip. "I cannot believe you!"

Seth shook his head as he watched Jack take a towel out from his back pocket, trying to keep his hold on the brunette in his arms. "Don't worry, Emily. It won't hurt as much if you just obey."

Emily's mouth hung open before she let out a cry, feeling the blade slowly slice into her wrist as she tried to move. "He didn't do it. You're lying to me!"

Jack looked to his mother with vacant eyes, his fingers squeezing the life out of the towel in his hand. "He's not lying."

The older woman looked to her son, shaking her head as he inched closer and closer. "You w-wouldn't do that to me, Jack."

Seth grinned as he watched Jack bring the towel up to his mother's mouth. "Oh I think he would."

Emily widened her eyes as she struggled to get away from the soaking wet towel that was set against her mouth. "Mmph!"

The teenager with his hands around the older woman's arms let out a laugh as he felt her body go limp in his grasp. "Looks like the beauty's gone slient."


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N - I have no idea if I've ever done a disclaimer, so I was thinking that I probably should!**

**I DO NOT own Criminal Minds**

**...**

Emily felt a stabbing pain enter at each of her temples when her dark eyes fluttered open. She let her lips curl inward when the pain began to increase, and her gaze immediately landed on the teenager that sat in the chair opposite her.

Seth's smile was wide and grim as he nodded over to the mother of four he had strapped in the chair across from him. "Aw, you finally decided to wake up." He stood from his chair, kneeling beside her chair and watching as her worried eyes hit the knife he held in his hand. A chuckle soon escaped from his throat before he nuzzled his nose into her neck. "Did you dream about me?"

Emily closed her eyes before giving a firm shake of the head, trying to feel how well she could move her arms and legs that were bound to the chair. "Where's Jack?"

"Oh isn't that sweet? You still want to see the kid who sold you to me."

The brunette glared towards the young man that kneeled beside her. "He's my son."

Seth gave a nod before letting his tongue swipe across the mother's pale cheek. "And he always will be. But for this moment…" he smiled against her cheek, his lips brushing just against her nose, "he's the boy who needed to pay off a loan."

Emily let her tongue moisten both her pale pink lips, her head shaking vigorously. "Stop lying to me! My son would never do anything like that."

"Then how do you explain him drugging you so I could get you here?"

"You probably forced him. Jack would do anything to please a friend or family member." She shook her head again. "That's one of the best things about him. He loves to please anyone and everyone."

"So he chloroformed his own mother just to please me?"

Emily felt that familiar throbbing journey down from her temples to the left side of her neck, and she slowly let out a breath. "What did you do with my other children?"

Seth's grin grew wider before running back over to the chair he had sat in before, opening his laptop and quickly pressing the enter button.

Her brown eyes widened when she saw her three little children pop up on the screen. Jenni and Marie stood in the middle of a large concrete room, their faces covered with oxygen masks. "Where are they? What did you do to them?"

"Oh, calm yourself down there Em. We don't need you all riled up."

Emily's hard gaze turned to the young man's icy eyes. "If you hurt them, I swear on every single FBI agent's grave that I will cut your fucking balls off and shove them down your throat!"

Seth let out a chuckle, his eyelids drooping slightly when he saw Emily's tongue swipe across her lips. "What did I say about calming yourself down, baby?"

Emily's heart immediately sped up, and she quickly shook her head. "What about Doug? Aaron? Where are my boys?"

The teenager gave a simple nod of the head, and he took his fingers to press the enter button one more time.

The wall next to Jenni and Marie was lifted, and there stood Doug with his daddy, matching oxygen masks strapped over their mouths and noses.

Emily let out a cry when she saw her husband instruct the kids to keep their masks on, which just happened to be strapped to the ceiling by one long chord, and they slowly all sat themselves down. "What did you do to them?"

"Don't worry, Emily. Nothing will happen unless their masks come off."

The brunette felt her tears drop down and hit her lip, and she looked straight into those young and evil eyes. "Why are you doing this? What gratification could this possibly give you?"

Seth's smile sent shivers down her spine, and she forced herself not to cringe when he sat in front of her and cupped her cheek with his clammy hand. "I get to spend a night or two with the most beautiful woman I've ever laid my eyes on." He nodded his head to her when he saw her dark eyes crinkle, her lips straightening out as she began to cry. "You could get out of here without a scratch on your perfect little face if you just listen to me. Does that sound good to you?"

Before the mother of four could open her mouth to speak, a light over at the other end of the cold room began to flicker on. Her eyes immediately watered when she saw her stepson tied to a pole in the corner, his mouth gagged and his blue eyes pleading to his mother.

Emily shook her head, her hands and ankles buckling in their restraints as she tried to get free and get to her son. "No!" She forgot about the teenager that knelt in front of her, her dark eyes trained on the struggling blond just a couple yards away. "Baby stay calm, ok? Keep your breathing even and try not to panic, ok?"

Seth's eyes lit up as he stood from his spot. "Oh lookie here!" He gestured the knife in Jack's direction. "You're still lookin' out for the kid who set you up."

"He's my son, you asshole!"

Seth shook his head, smiling as he let the tip of his knife scrap along Emily's slender neck. "Not for long."


	8. Chapter 8

The brunette mother groaned when the teenager shined a hot light right on her face, hurting her already aching eyes. "Why do you need my family? Just keep me here."

Seth let out a laugh before shaking his head, sitting back down across from the older woman. "Where's the fun in that?" His hand tightened on the knife as he watched her begin to sweat. "You're so beautiful."

Emily kept her lips tight, trying to focus her eyes anywhere but the boy before her.

"You gonna keep those pretty lips closed? I kind of wanted to talk." He stood from the chair and tugged hard on the mother's hair.

Emily let out a hiss of pain, her neck stretching uncomfortably as her head was pulled back. "Let go of me!"

Seth smiled before pressing a wet kiss to the brunette's cheek. "Come on baby, I thought we were gonna have some fun."

"Let go!"

"No, I don't think I will." He ran the tip of the blade in his hand up the column of Emily's ivory throat.

"Let go of her!"

Both brunettes looked over to the teenager who sat tied up against the pole across from them, his red face covered in tears.

Seth frowned before letting go of the mother in the chair beside him. "How'd you get that gag out of your mouth?"

Emily leaned forward as much as she could in the chair, tears spilling from her eyes as Seth continued to move towards Jack. "Sweetie please don't try and fight, ok? I don't need you to be brave."

Jack kicked at his once friend, his eyes glued on his mother. "I won't let him hurt you!"

"Jack please! Don't fight for me!"

The blond teen cried as Seth froze a foot from him, doing his best to listen to the conversation. "I have to!"

"No sweetie, you don't."

"Why not? I love you!"

Emily let her jaw fall open, a strangled sob ripping from her throat. "Because I don't want you dying for me!"

...

Hotch's heart pounded in his chest as he listened to the cries of his children. The oxygen mask over his face barely covered his entire mouth and nose, but all that mattered was making sure that everyone else was ok.

The father of four held the three youngest against his legs, doing his best to comfort each of his children with a rub to their backs and coos in their ears.

They would get out of there.

All of them.


End file.
